Miss A Columnist

Randi Roberts is a food blogger, living just outside of New York City. She has BA in Art History from Brown University and a Master’s in Art Business from Sotheby’s in London and a consuming interest in aesthetics, in art, fashion, or food.

She has lived and studied in Cannes, London and Bologna (not coincidentally, a food capital of Italy). Her experiences both here and abroad have helped to cultivate her sense of adventure and an open-minded approach to life. Those experiences have deepened her understanding of aesthetics and visual presentation. Such appreciation is reflected in her food photography as well as her writing, be it be fiction or nonfiction.

She has worked in retail exposing her to the fields of fashion, art and beauty products. Her customer experience has given her insight into people, their buying habits and the world in which we live. Her ability as a story-teller helps her to relate to others, a useful tool for connecting with readers or viewers.

Rooftop BBQ Fundraiser To Benefit I’m From Driftwood In New York City

This year marks the Third Annual Rooftop BBQ Fundraiser to benefit I’m From Driftwood, a charity dedicated to continuously creating an archive of first-person LGBTQ stories. The BBQ will be set at the Casa De Costa Gallery on Saturday, July 13, 2013. The summertime event will feature delicious BBQ by Chef Andy Baraghani, raffle prizes and a silent auction to raise funds for the charity. Each ticket includes an open bar with alcohol generously provided by El Dorado Rum, Brooklyn Brewery, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The host committee invites you to support the charity, those who have told their stories, and those who have yet to do so.

I’m From Driftwood, founded by Nathan Manske, is a not-for-profit organization that celebrates difference and promotes a world where these differences can be shared, accepted and understood. I’m From Driftwood collects the stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, in various forms of media from videos to photos to text. These stories, from all over the world, are shared via their website and their blog, which have been established as welcoming, judgment-free and safe environments and platforms. According to their website, its mission is to “help LGBTQ people learn more about their community, straight people learn more about their neighbors and everyone learn more about themselves” through storytelling while creating allies and supporters. I’m From Driftwood is about getting to know each other, building bonds of understanding, acceptance, and belonging.